Bulgur in a pan. How to cook bulgur grits deliciously: the best recipes and a step-by-step description

Bulgur is a durum wheat groat that has been pre-processed and crushed. There are three types of crushing:

  • rough(predominantly used instead of rice in pilaf or other dishes);
  • average(used in various different dishes);
  • shallow(used in baking, gives products a pleasant nutty note and crunch).

There are some subtleties in the preparation of bulgur. Observing them, you can easily cook this product, while unusual for a simple consumer.


Do I need to rinse bulgur before cooking?

Chefs agree that this cereal does not need to be washed or soaked. The best way reveal its taste - fry in oil before cooking. This procedure will give the bulgur a special flavor and light nutty smack.


Proportions and cooking time

In addition to the beautiful palatability, this product has enough useful substances that can benefit the body. Due to the high content dietary fiber Bulgur is recommended for people with digestive disorders, as it improves digestion and cleanses the intestines. Thanks to potassium, magnesium and iron, which are part of the cereal, a positive trend is created in case of heart diseases and problems with hematopoiesis. Due to the low GI, such cereals are useful for diabetics.

But in order to extract the greatest benefit from bulgur, it is necessary to cook it correctly. Only in this case all valuable nutritional properties product will remain with him. You can cook such cereals using different methods (in a saucepan, in a slow cooker, etc.). With any method, the ratio of water and cereal should be 2: 1.

Although bulgur does not boil soft, it is still not worth overexposing it on the stove, otherwise the taste of the product is lost.



How to cook cereal?

Bulgur can be prepared in several ways:

  • traditionally, on the stove;
  • in a slow cooker or pressure cooker;
  • in the microwave;
  • steam in a thermos or saucepan.

When steaming in a thermos, one part of the cereal is poured with two parts of boiling water and infused for 30-45 minutes. You can cook the product in a saucepan in the same way. In this case, the container should be tightly closed and well wrapped. Bulgur turns out to be friable, it is used in the preparation of the kysyr salad known in the east.



Even in such a household appliance as a microwave, you can cook quite delicious porridge. It should be borne in mind that during the cooking process, the cereal doubles. Therefore, it is worth choosing the appropriate dishes. Water needs to be added a little less than in the usual ratio. Bulgur is prepared in this way for 2-3 minutes at the highest power. After that, it is left to infuse for 12-15 minutes under a tightly closed lid.

This cereal is also prepared in a slow cooker in the "buckwheat" mode. So it turns out good crumbly porridge. But real connoisseurs of bulgur recommend a more painstaking method of cooking, which results in a dish with unsurpassed taste and aroma. To do this, fry the cereal in oil in the “baking” mode, add spices and salt, pour boiling water and turn on the “stewing” function for 20 minutes. Then keep the dish on “heating” for another 7-10 minutes.


For cooking in a saucepan take:

  • bulgur - half a glass;
  • boiling water - 1 cup;
  • salt - 4 grams;
  • vegetable oil - 20 ml.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil, add the bulgur and fry for a minute and a half, stirring occasionally. Then you need to pour boiling water and salt. Boil porridge should be on low heat under a closed lid. If necessary, you can add another half a glass hot water. Cook the product depending on the further use.

For salads, cereals boiled al dente are used. In this case, you need to cook the product less. For the second (to be used as a side dish), the cereal is cooked for about 20 minutes. Playing with the addition of spices, you can enjoy a different shade of taste every time. If soup with couscous is being prepared, then in already ready meal add fried cereals, after which they remove it from the stove and wrap it for 10 minutes.



In order to properly cook bulgur, get tasty dish and do not harm your health, several points must be taken into account:

  • this cereal is not combined with eggs, cabbage, beets and raw potatoes;
  • in order to avoid the occurrence of fermentation in the intestines, do not add too many dried fruits to the porridge;
  • the product goes well with spices and various aromatic oils;
  • herbs such as thyme, rosemary and marjoram are ideal for this cereal, as well as cinnamon and cardamom.

To get crumbly boiled bulgur, be sure to follow correct ratio cereals and water. A variety of dishes with this porridge makes it possible to enjoy a new delicious dish from the East every time. As a milk porridge, bulgur is suitable for children from 1.5 years old.

See below for how to properly cook bulgur for a side dish so that it turns out tasty and crumbly.

When buckwheat or rice groats starts to get bored, you should turn your eyes to original version wheat porridge - bulgur. This fragrant, tasty, satisfying, but not heavy for the stomach side dish is great for meat, fish and vegetable dishes. And milk porridge with bulgur - great choice for a child, because this cereal is nutritious and rich in vitamins, magnesium and phosphorus.

How long to cook bulgur

Bulgur is an ideal option for cooking, because it is almost impossible to spoil it. Since the wheat from which it is made is cooked or steamed, the duration of the cooking process with bulgur is rather short. On average, cooking this cereal can take from 20 minutes to an hour, but it should be borne in mind that most of the process does not require the personal intervention of the chef.

IMPORTANT! When choosing a pot or other container for cooking porridge, you should remember that bulgur increases significantly in size during cooking.

Unlike rice, this cereal does not need additional water procedures: it is not necessary to wash it. With a strong desire, the cereal can still be washed, only after it must be dried.

How to cook bulgur in a pot

The traditional way to get delicious bulgur is quite simple: pour one part of the groats with two parts of boiling water, and then wrap the pan with a thick cloth for at least an hour. The porridge prepared in this way is crumbly and light, so it can be used as an individual dish, a side dish for meat or an ingredient for a salad.

ADVICE! Some housewives use a thermos as a container for porridge, which guarantees the preservation of temperature and perfect steaming of cereals.

But for the maximum disclosure of the taste of bulgur, you need to approach the cooking process with imagination. To get a side dish with a unique nutty-creamy flavor and aroma, you should first fry the cereal in butter for no more than 5-10 minutes. The problem of transferring fried bulgur from a pan to a pan can be solved with the help of a wok pan, in which both frying will be perfect and the groats will be steamed to the desired conditions.

How to cook bulgur in a slow cooker

Making bulgur in a slow cooker is even easier. This useful household appliance will help not even too much. experienced housewife to please your loved ones with a fragrant and delicate side dish. To prepare the perfect bulgur in a slow cooker, you need:

  • Prepare the ingredients - 2 measuring cups of cereal, 3 measuring cups of water - to obtain crumbly garnish or 4 - for viscous porridge, 30 grams of butter, salt.
  • In a bowl on the "Frying" mode, melt the butter.
  • Gently fry the grits in melted butter until a pleasant nutty aroma appears.
  • Pour the fried cereal with oil with water and salt.
  • Close the slow cooker and set the “Porridge” / “Stew” mode for 20 minutes. For steaming, bulgur can be left in the bowl for half an hour after the end of the cooking process.

Bulgur Recipes

The most popular salad with bulgur is the classic Tabbouleh. To prepare this salad, you will need 150 grams of cereal, 2 tomatoes (for example, red and yellow fruit) and a bunch of parsley. Boiled bulgur is mixed with finely chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley. The salad is dressed with a mixture of lime juice, olive oil, spices and sea salt.

Soup with bulgur is easy to prepare: in pre-cooked meat or chicken bouillon add finely chopped potatoes and grits fried in butter. If desired, grated carrots or finely chopped onions can be added to the soup, greens for taste. This soup is perfect for children's table because it is filling yet light.


Today we’ll talk about how to cook bulgur and find out all the intricacies of cooking. During their travels, the Maghreb merchants brought to Europe not only fabrics and utensils, but also some products, among which bulgur occupies an honorable place. This is one of the favorite dishes of the Caucasus, the Balkans, Northern India, the Middle East, Pakistan, and the South of Russia. It is very tasty, nutritious and good both hot and cold.

What is Bulgur?

Bulgur is nothing more than a groats obtained from durum wheat, subjected to heat treatment with water and further drying. After that, the outer shell is removed from the grains by grinding (this gives the grits an amber hue), and then crushed into three fractions:


  1. Thin. Such cereals are used in the preparation of pastries, bread, cookies. Thanks to bulgur, the muffin acquires a crunch and a nutty taste.
  2. Average. It is used to prepare various culinary specialties from salads and appetizers to side dishes and soups.
  3. Rough. Such cereals are used instead of rice in pilaf, which significantly affects the calorie content of the dish (it decreases).

How to cook bulgur

According to the rules, cereals of the middle fraction are not boiled, but steamed, the bay hot water in a ratio of 1: 2 in a food thermos (you can use a saucepan that needs to be well wrapped). After 40-50 minutes, the bulgur will swell, and it can be used to cook cutlets with potatoes and kysyr salad.

When preparing soups, you need to take into account the increase in the volume of cereals by about 2.5 times.

But how to cook coarse bulgur? First, it is washed and fried for 5-10 minutes in oil, and then boiled, pouring water in a ratio of 1: 2, over low heat for 20 minutes with stirring. Ready porridge cover with a lid and let it brew for 10 minutes.

Harm

Oddly enough, bulgur also has contraindications:

  • frequent bloating;
  • increased acidity;
  • frequent diarrhea;
  • gluten intolerance;
  • inflammatory processes in the esophagus and stomach;
  • constant overeating.

If you experience any discomfort or symptoms, you should exclude the product from the diet and seek the advice of a specialist.

How to cook bulgur for a side dish: cooking secrets

Not only first and second courses are prepared from bulgur, but also delicious desserts. To prepare delicious food some rules must be observed:

  1. The cereal does not need to be soaked or washed.
  2. First, bulgur is fried in oil, and then only boiled. This procedure gives a nutty note and a charming aroma.
  3. Cooked in a thick bottomed pot. It can be a cast iron, a cauldron or a wok.
  4. During cooking, the volume of cereals triples. So be sure to bring the right pot.
  5. Grains and water are taken in a ratio of 1: 2, respectively.
  6. When cooking in a slow cooker, use the "Buckwheat" mode.

Bulgur goes well with spices and various oils. So, you can safely add when cooking: marjoram, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, ground cardamom.


Tarragon should not be used, as it "silences" the nutty taste of cereals and gives it bitterness.

When cooking bulgur, keep in mind that it is not recommended to combine it in a dish with eggs, raw potatoes, (white or colored), beets. Care should be taken to add dried fruits, because in combination with bulgar this can provoke the occurrence of fermentation in the intestines.

It is unacceptable to use cereals for people with allergies to cereals or gluten.

How to cook bulgur: recipes with photos

Now we offer you to visually familiarize yourself with the preparation of various variations of bulgur.

Bulgur groats with vegetables

Prepare delicious bulgur with vegetables - a tender and satisfying meal. The dish will not leave anyone indifferent due to its taste and enchanting aroma. Its plus is that without the addition of meat, the dish turns into a dietary one.

For cooking for two glasses of cereal, you need 2 onions and bell peppers, 3 cloves of garlic. And what oriental dish without spices? Therefore, they are used: 1 tsp. sweet paprika and chili pepper, 2 tbsp. l. , a bunch of your favorite greens, salt. For dressing - sunflower oil.


In order not to suffer with spices, you can separately prepare the dressing by mixing them with juice and oil.

Recipe: Chicken bulgur in a slow cooker

Bulgur cooked in a slow cooker with the addition of chicken meat- not only a tasty dish, but also healthy. In addition, it is not at all difficult to prepare it, since all you need to do is prepare the products. The technology will do the rest.

For 0.5 kg of chicken meat (fillet), you should take 0.2 kg of cereal, one onion, carrots and In addition, spices will be needed (at your discretion), 30 g each sunflower oil and tomato paste.


The finished dish is laid out on plates, decorated with greens as desired and served at the table.

Bulgur Soup Video Recipe

Bulgur with dried fruits

Bulgur can be cooked with almost any product, getting delicious and nutritious meals. We offer to cook bulgur with dried fruits. Both fast and helpful.

For a glass (0.25 kg) of boiled cereals, you need to take 50 g of raisins, dried apricots, cranberries and ½ lemon. Additionally, 2 tsp will be required. and butter to taste.


Bulgur pilaf recipe video

Now, knowing the recipes and subtleties of cooking bulgur for a side dish, you can easily treat your guests gourmet dish, giving it a certain oriental aura.


What do you cook for a side dish? We think that we will not be mistaken if we list such side dishes as rice, buckwheat, pasta, potatoes, millet, pearl barley Oh, and corn. And as a rule, the list ends with these products. Tired? Do you want to find a worthy alternative to boring buckwheat and rice? Then you should pay attention to bulgur. This cereal is quite popular in the East. And in terms of frequency of use, it is in second place after rice.


What it is?

Bulgur groats themselves are nothing more than crushed wheat, necessarily hard varieties. It is first cleaned by washing with water, then dried very strongly, and only after that it is crushed into different fractions.

Different calibers of cereals are used in different dishes, for example, the smallest cereal is used in baking, bakery products. A specific nutty flavor and a pleasant crunch are acquired thanks to this impurity. Groats of the middle fraction are used for the preparation of side dishes and first courses. And the largest grinding is used in pilaf. Pilaf turns out to be a pleasant golden color.

It’s not difficult at all to cook this cereal at home step by step, if you take into account all our recommendations. It is suitable as food for weight loss, and pilaf from it, cooked in the microwave, will amaze with its taste.


What is the benefit and is there any harm?

Bulgur is a cereal with a unique composition. It is very useful for people with diabetes, as it differs low content Sahara. It is also useful for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract. The content of potassium and magnesium in bulgur has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and the hematopoietic system. And the presence of calcium in cereals makes it necessary for children whose body is in the active phase of growth.

There are no special prohibitions on taking bulgur. If only for people with individual gluten intolerance. Or because of temporary flatulence, diarrhea, stomach or intestinal cramps. Here it is worth refraining from eating bulgur. Still, it's a pretty heavy meal. Moreover, cereals are not boiled in side dishes, but steamed.


Proportions and preparation

To get from plain wheat delicious side dish, pilaf or porridge, there are some tricks. Be sure to take into account that the volume of cereals during cooking will approximately double, that is, the dishes need to be taken in a larger volume. Bulgur fits perfectly into recipes for salads, soups, any main dishes, like side dishes, pilaf, pasta, and is also added to chopped meat for cooking kebab.

Bulgur is not washed before cooking, but must be fried on in large numbers oils, and only after that they are poured with water for cooking. As we have already said, instead of boiling, finely ground bulgur is steamed with boiling water and wrapped well for several hours. This type of side dish is ideally served with dried fruits, cheeses, vegetables and fish.

It is not necessary to mix bulgur with potatoes or cabbage in cooking, and of any variety. It's not tasty.



Methods for making porridge

The technology for making bulgur is not particularly complicated. Cooking time - 25-30 minutes. But, as mentioned earlier, the cereal must first be fried in butter. It is better to use thick-walled dishes, because basically heat treatment goes by steaming or languishing over low heat with a constant temperature.

Therefore, bulgur proved to be excellent in recipes for cooking in multicookers and double boilers.

  1. took a thick frying pan, cauldron or pan, put good piece butter, melted, poured grits;
  2. fry it, constantly stirring and turning, until golden brown;
  3. now pour boiling water in the proportion: 1 part cereal 2 parts water and cover with a lid, reduce the heat. Without interfering, we wait 15-20 minutes;
  4. do not forget to salt to taste.



The degree of readiness of porridge can be judged by the characteristic dimples formed on the surface, which indicates that excess water has evaporated or absorbed.

Recipes

Great amount recipes vegetarian cereals bulgur-based saves vegans the headache of what to cook. Bulgur in combination with any vegetables perfectly satisfies hunger and saturates the body for a long time. useful vitamins and minerals.

Diet meals

Bulgur with eggplant:

  • eggplant - 2 pcs;
  • medium-sized carrots - 1 pc;
  • large onion - 1 pc;
  • medium-sized tomatoes - 2 pcs;
  • vegetable oil - 4 tablespoons;
  • bulgur medium fraction - 1 cup;
  • salt, spices - to taste.

Pour vegetable oil into the cauldron, you can take absolutely any, but sesame oil is ideal. Wash vegetables, remove stems. Coarsely chop the carrots and onions, fry in boiling oil, quickly.

Then also coarsely chopped tomatoes, freed from the skin, also fry quickly, carefully turn over to keep the pieces as dense as possible. You can replace the pieces with whole cherry tomatoes, only they must first be freed from the skin.

Now we combine all the components of our dish into a single whole. To do this, lay the fried vegetables in layers, alternating them with bulgur, previously fried in oil. Do not forget to add salt and season with your favorite spices. Now we fill all this beauty with boiling water so that it covers the contents of the cauldron 2-3 centimeters from above. And we send the cauldron to the oven or stove on a small fire for an hour and a half. Be sure to make sure that boiling does not occur. The dish should "languish". Bulgur with eggplant turns out crumbly, fragrant, insanely delicious.


Another quite diet recipe based on bulgur - tabouleh:

  • bulgur - 100 grams;
  • olive oil - 100 ml;
  • onions - 1 small head;
  • tomatoes - 4 medium dense tomatoes;
  • lemon - 2 pieces;
  • peppermint - a sprig;
  • salt to taste;
  • parsley - a large bunch;
  • spices you can take your favorite, too, to taste.

Cook bulgur for 18-20 minutes, do not forget to fry it beforehand. In the meantime, our porridge is being cooked, we wash and chop the vegetables. Cut tomatoes and onions into thin strips. We cut off the leaves of parsley and mint. We take tender and beautiful ones for salad, and we sweep away illiquid and hard stems to the side - they are not needed. Bulgur is ready, cool it and mix with herbs and vegetables. Whisk salt and spices with olive oil and the juice of two lemons and season our tabbouleh. This is one of the favorite dishes in the East. Eat almost daily as a salad and as an appetizer.


Another salad with bulgur that will delight your household is bulgur salad with cucumbers:

  • bulgur - 1 cup boiled (how to cook, described above);
  • tomato - 2 pieces large;
  • cucumber - 2 pieces;
  • hot pepper;
  • cilantro or coriander;
  • onion - green feather (it is better to take a young one, you can replace it with wild garlic);
  • garlic;
  • cold pressed olive oil;
  • balsamic vinegar (can be replaced with apple or wine);
  • soy sauce.

In the manufacture of this salad, bulgur is boiled, cucumbers and tomatoes are cut into medium-sized cubes, the greens are finely chopped. Then the dressing is prepared directly: from one tablespoon of vinegar, four tablespoons of oil, two tablespoons soy sauce, one clove of minced garlic. This mixture, thoroughly beaten to a smooth paste, dress the salad and sprinkle the finished dish with finely chopped chili peppers.


Bulgur with zucchini:

  • Sweet pepper;
  • zucchini squash;
  • eggplant;
  • bulgur;
  • vegetable oil;
  • chives;
  • parsley;
  • salt, pepper to taste.

Peppers are baked, eggplant and zucchini, cut into medium-sized squares, are salted to remove bitterness, then fried in vegetable oil until cooked.

Bulgur is steamed until specific dimples appear on the surface. Then all the components are gently mixed with the addition of spices and finely chopped parsley. Oil is not added. This salad is served warm.


Soup with bulgur

This is the dish that will restore you after a hard day's work. It will saturate, not depress your body.

  • bulgur - 100 grams;
  • lentil groats or whole grains - 100 grams;
  • tomatoes - 200 grams;
  • cilantro, dill, parsley - a bunch;
  • turmeric - a third of a teaspoon;
  • vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;
  • sour cream - 100 grams.

If you are worried about the figure - exclude sour cream or take a low-fat product. To prepare the soup, you first need to boil the lentils until soft. While the lentils are cooking, fry the bulgur in butter until golden brown. Combine bulgur with lentil broth. Next, you need to stew lightly chopped tomatoes, add greens. Combine all ingredients and cook for 20 minutes over low heat. Ready soup top with sour cream.


Another wonderful dish, which can be cooked with bulgur - Turkish pilaf. traditional recipe, to which we are accustomed, is prepared with rice. In Turkey, pilaf is cooked more often using coarse bulgur.

You will need:

  • beef or lamb meat - 500 grams;
  • red onion - 1 pc;
  • bulgur -200 grams;
  • carrots - 1 pc;
  • bell pepper - 1 pc;
  • prunes - 12 medium berries;
  • oil;
  • parsley;
  • spices, salt to taste.

Pour hot water over prunes and leave to cool. Cut the meat into pieces and cook until half cooked. Finely chop vegetables and steamed prunes and fry in butter in a deep frying pan or cauldron. Pass for five minutes on low heat. Then add boiled meat, salt, add spices. Simmer for another five minutes. And in last turn add bulgur. Mix everything and pour ready meat broth so that the cereal is covered by two centimeters. Pilaf is cooked on low heat for 15-20 minutes.


Readiness is determined by the presence of depressions on the surface of the bulgur. This pilaf is served generously sprinkled with parsley.

Bulgur with porcini mushrooms:

  • white mushrooms - 200 gr;
  • egg - 1 pc;
  • bulgur - 300 gr;
  • milk - 3 tbsp. l;
  • tomato paste - 1 tbsp. l;
  • garlic - a couple of cloves;
  • zira, salt to taste;
  • olive oil - 3 tablespoons;
  • tomatoes - 2 pieces.

The method of preparing this dish is quite simple and subject even to a novice cook. So, first you need to steam the bulgur with boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Then squeeze the well-steamed grits, add salt, spices and tomato paste. Then knead everything, adding raw egg. We form small balls a little smaller than ping-pong balls. Boil these peculiar meatballs in water or broth.

Finely chopped champignons fried with garlic in a small amount olive oil cold pressed. Add finely chopped tomatoes and sauté lightly. Do not forget to salt and add spices to your taste. Then we put our bulgur balls on top and simmer everything over low heat for another fifteen minutes.

It is beautiful to serve a dish decorated with finely chopped greens on the table.


Bulgur can be used not only in the preparation of salads, first and second courses. It is also great for making sweet pastries.

Bulgur cupcakes:

  • 2 eggs;
  • a glass of milk of low fat content;
  • 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
  • 1 cup of sugar;
  • 1.5 cups of wheat flour;
  • 1 cup small bulgur;
  • soda slaked with vinegar;
  • thyme.

Beat eggs with sugar until stiff. Chilled bulgur with milk, thyme, vegetable oil and soda mix well. Flour is already introduced into this mixture and it is also well mixed. The dough should not be too tight. In molds greased with melted butter, put the dough without filling them to the top.

Cupcakes are baked in the oven at temperatures up to 200 degrees for half an hour.


Well, another popular delicacy in the East is halva. It is also often cooked with bulgur, adding various fruits and nuts.

Bulgur halvah with raisins:

  • bulgur with the smallest crumb;
  • butter;
  • raisin;
  • dried apricots;
  • nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts).

Melt the butter without heating it and fry the bulgur of the finest grinding on it until a rich golden color. Then, chilled bulgur is mixed with honey, crushed nuts and finely chopped raisins and dried apricots. The whole mass is well mixed and molded by hand into dense koloboks or sausages. It needs to be very tight. Your dessert should be cut with a knife and not crumble.


For convenience, you can use cling film. Finished goods refrigerate for three hours. The delicacy is ready to be served with tea.

In modern realities, do not forget that bulgur can also be cooked in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, which will significantly reduce cooking time and significantly free up time for you to have a more productive rest. To do this, the device is heated melted butter, add salt, add cereal, mix, pour boiling water and turn on the “rice, buckwheat” mode.

After the device has turned off, the porridge is not opened, it is allowed to brew. Boiling water can be replaced with milk. Then you get milk porridge from bulgur. And if you add fruits or berries, then such porridge will not leave your children indifferent. They will eat it with great pleasure. After all, fruits and berries are very harmoniously combined with the nutty aftertaste of bulgur. This is probably why the recipe for preparing this cereal is very diverse and loved by both children and adults. Desserts, soups, various variations of side dishes will not leave anyone indifferent.



How to cook bulgur for a side dish, see the following video.

Crumbly bulgur is the basis of many dishes. It can be boiled as a side dish, used as a filler for salads, minced meat, even for baking. But often it sticks together with long cooking or the wrong proportions.

Krupa came to us from the Middle East and Asia, where nomads and Bedouins loved it very much. On the way, it was impossible to carefully and for a long time to bother with cooking, but cereals were needed as a source of energy, vitamins and minerals. The nomads also figured out how to quickly, simply and tasty cook crumbly bulgur.

We will tell you how to cook crumbly bulgur in a saucepan without special tools.

Preparation

Boiling bulgur properly is quite simple, but first you need to pay attention to the preparation. There are several cooking methods, but there are some general rules. For crumbly bulgur you will need:

  • a large saucepan - the cereal swells during the cooking process and increases by about three times its original volume;
  • the cereal itself - the finer the grinding, the shorter the cooking time;
  • water - the proportion of water to cereal depends on the chosen cooking method.

During the cooking process, you do not even need salt - all seasonings are added to the already prepared dish.

Soak or fry?

So that the product in the pan does not stick together, and the crumbly cereal retains its shape, the ground grain must be “filled” in advance. That is, either pre-soak in water, or fry in a pan with the addition of oil. Consider the advantages of each method.

Soak

This method helps to preserve the maximum of nutrients. The cereal is placed in a large container, preferably made of ceramic or metal with thick walls, and poured with hot water. Water should be about one and a half times more than cereals. The container is closed with a lid, wrapped with a towel and left for 30 minutes. Only after that you can start cooking.

If you keep bulgur in water longer, 40-50 minutes, it can be cooled and used without further cooking. In this case, the preparation time for a side dish or salad will be as short as possible.

Roasting

When roasted, all the rich taste and aroma of cereals are revealed - bulgur acquires nutty notes and is more suitable for meat dishes. This method is more often used for cooking pilaf.

The pan needs to be heated over high heat with oil - as a rule, 10–15 grams of butter or ghee are used per 100 grams of cereal. Olive or sunflower can overpower the flavor. On hot pan groats are poured out and carefully stirred with a wooden spatula. As soon as a golden color appears or the smell of nuts begins to be heard, remove from heat and transfer to a saucepan for cooking.

After that, the chances of properly cooking bulgur in a pan increase significantly. The selected method does not affect how much time to cook in the pan.

Cooking bulgur in a pot

We place the pre-prepared cereals in large saucepan and fill with water. The ideal option it is considered to cook bulgur in the proportion of already swollen cereals 1: 1.8 in relation to water. The water must be warm. But if you don’t want to measure, it is permissible to pour 2 parts of water into 1 part of the cereal.

We place the pan on the already heated burner. How much time to cook depends on how much water is poured - 15 or 20 minutes under a closed lid over low heat, without stirring. All water should evaporate.

Ready crumbly bulgur can be eaten hot, or it can be cooled and added to another dish. It goes great with white or pink. ground pepper, nutmeg, sesame. Of the greens, parsley, basil, cilantro and mint are in perfect harmony. If you add spices and pieces of meat stewed with vegetables to the finished dish (especially delicious if you use lamb, beef or turkey), you get a real Bedouin pilaf.

Properly cooked cereals allow you to experiment and choose from a whole range of different dishes.